Fauci Says Trump Admin’s ‘Lack of Candor’ Amid Pandemic ‘Very Likely’ Cost Lives

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the chief medical adviser to President Joe Biden, is speaking out about the previous administration’s coronavirus pandemic response.

Appearing on CNN’s “New Day” Friday, Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases said,”There’s no secret. We’ve had a lot of divisiveness, we’ve had facts that were very, very clear, that were questioned. People were not trusting what health officials were saying.”

Fauci was asked if the “lack of candor” or “lack of facts in some cases” from the Trump administration cost lives.

“You know it very likely did,” Fauci responded.

He continued, “You know I don’t want that, John, to be a sound bite but I think if you just look at that you can see that when you’re starting to go down paths that are not based on any science at all…That is not helpful at all, and particularly when you’re in a situation of almost being in a crisis with the number of cases and hospitalizations and deaths that we have.”

Watch Fauci’s interview below:

Fauci also estimated during the “New Day” interview that when the U.S. reaches “somewhere between” 70% to 85% with COVID-19 vaccinations then the nation could reach herd immunity “within a reasonable period of time.”

“Hopefully, that will be as we enter into the fall and end the summer,” he added.

During Thursday’s White House press briefing, Fauci shared “how much different” it feels working under the Biden administration compared to former President